Apparatus for regulating the speed of propeller-shafts.



'No. 731,869. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903 T. A. DUIFP.

APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF PROPELLBR SHAPTS APPLICATION FILEDMAR. 5. 1903.

no MODEL.

. Z6 k 1 22 g w P 2025266566, MaZJQr ous speed,resulting in breakage ofthe shaft or damage to the engine unless the excessive UNITED STATESPATENT Patented June 23, 1903.

FFICE.

APPARATUS FOR REGULAl'ING THE SPEED OF PROPELLER-SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Letters Patent No. 731,869, dated June 23,1903.

Application filed March 5, 1903.

To all? whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ANDREAS DUIFF, a subject of the Queen of theNetherlands, residingat Rotterdam, Netherlands, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in or Relating to Apparatus for Regulatingthe Speed of Propeller-Shafts, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for regulating the speed ofpropeller-shafts either directlyor indirectly in an automatic manout ofthe Water to a greater or less extent,

and the engines may even acquire a dangerspeed is prevented bythrottling the steam or in some other way. Many devices have beenproposed for this object; but they have frequently failed, owing totheir coming into action too late-that is to say, after the engine hasacquired an excessive speed. These drawbacks are particularly noticeablein the devices provided with a float or with two pistons lun in intocommunicatin c linders g b b filled with water and acting on thethrottlevalve or on a brake device by means of a mo tor actuated by thefloat or pistons when the level of water in the cylinders changes. Owingto the float or the pistons acting on the throttle valve or on the brakeindirectly, there is loss of time between the time the propeller comesout of water and the moment the brake is applied, so that the enginesacquire by that timea dangerous speed. Besides, the water in thecommunicating cylinders is subject to continuous movement during thepitching of the ship, which movements or oscillationsdo not correspondin time with the oscillationsof the ship, but follow after them.

This results in the brake being applied to the engines at unsuitablemoments.

According to this invention the drawbacks in question are obviated bythe well-known braking device being actuated by the pres sure of acolumn of water, a Water-receptacle Serial No. 146,330- (No model.)

formed between the back and the front wa-' ter vessels and exercisespressure on the piston actuating the brake-band and increases in height,and therefore in pressure, with the inclination of the pitching ship.The result is that the brake is applied to the engines instantaneouslyand in proportion to the inclination of the ship when its stern partrises and the front part dips.

An apparatus according to this invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 showing the arrangement of thecommunicating receptacles in the ship, Fig. 2 showing the means foractuating a difierential band-brake by the pressure of the water column.

The ship a, Fig. 1, is shown in position in which the propeller b israised entirely out of..the water 0, the ship forming an angle at withthe water-surface c. Fig. 1 clearly shows the position of the engines f,propeller-shaft g, and thrust-bearings h. Two receptacles k and Z arearranged in the longitudinal axis of the ship at some distance from eachother and connected by a tube m. A piston n is fitted to the preferablycircular vertical front receptacle Z. In the position shown in Fig. lthe pressure of water under the piston is measured by the height 0 ofthe water column.

On the engine-shaft g is mounted a disk or wheelp,Fi g. 2. Around thiswheel is arranged a differential brake-band g, which is tightened orreleased in the well-known manner by means of a pivoted lever 7". To theother end of this lever r, the fulcrum of which is in a bracket t on thecylinder-cover u, is secured the piston-rod s. The cylinder-cover 'u, isprovided with ports 1; for the escape of air and is only useful as aguide for the piston-rod 3. Under the influence of the pressure of thewater the piston 12 moves upward and tightens the brake-band q. When thepressure of water ceases or diminishes, owing to the back part of theship sinking, the piston rt sinks by its own weight, thus releasing thebrake-band q.

The front receptacle Z is placed at a suitable point in the ship,preferably next to the forward thrust-bearing m, Fig. 1, the rearreceptacle 70 being placed as far as possible at the back, for thegreater the height of the'effective water column the smaller need be thediameters of the receptacles k and Z.

. Instead of connecting the piston-rod s to the lever of a differentialbrake-band it could be used to operate brake-shoes surrounding the shaftg-or the brake-Wheel 19, thus applying the pressure directly to the mainshaft.

Care must be taken that the brake-pressure shall not be exercised beforenecessarythat is to say, not until'the propeller is raised out of thewater to such an extent as to make racing of the engines possible.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Apparatus for regulating the speed of propeller-shafts comprising twocommunicating Water-receptacles arranged respectively approximately atthe rear and center of the vessel, a piston in one of the receptacles, abrake device for the propeller-shaft and an operative connection betweenthe brake device and the piston substantiallyas described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a water-receptacle arrangednear the center of the vessel, a piston therein, a brake-disk on thepropeller-shaft, a brake-band, a lever connected at one end to thebrake-band and at the other end to the piston-rod, and means forsupplying Water to the receptacle as the stern of the vessel lifts.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a pair ofcommunicating waterreceptacles one of which is disposed approximately atthe center of the vessel and the

